An Australian woman in need of a travel partner has a vacation planned with your name on it -- as long as your name is Andrew Grant.
Earlier in the year, 20-year-old Aurore Lassus planned a graduation trip across Europe with her boyfriend. The pair split up after everything had been booked, leaving Lassus with a plane ticket for an Andrew Grant, but no man to match.
Even worse, according to the airline and her travel agent, the ticket was non-refundable, and the name on the ticket couldn’t be changed. Not wanting to waste the ticket, Lassus hopped on Reddit for some help.
“I initially told my ex before the split was ‘official’ that I would use Reddit to crowd-source a potential candidate to come with me,” Lassus told CTVNews.ca. “He probably thought I was bluffing, but I wasn't.”
She posted her “crazy request” -- as she titled it on the site -- on Tuesday to a few subsections of the message board. Her quest to find a travel buddy with the exact name of her ex-boyfriend garnered a few hundred replies over the next day.
“I have had many offers, some more serious than others,” the university student said.
Although nobody by the name of Andrew Grant came forward in the comments, Lassus still said the prospects seem promising. As a reminder to never underestimate the insanity of the Internet, she’s even heard from some people who are willing to go to the extreme to make this trip happen.
“I have also received several serious offers from people who are willing to change their name to accompany me on this trip,” she said. “I've had a chat with several and even met one in person today.”
Lassus says she’s being careful to screen the Andrew-Grant-wannabes who seem interested in taking the trip, saying she needs to ensure the candidate is fully committed, with a personality that meshes with her own.
“The (Reddit) community is surprisingly warm and welcoming, and people seem genuine in what they say,” she says. “That is not to say you can be so naive as to take the first person who says yes. You have to be smart about this sort of request.”
The first flight leaves on Nov. 26, so candidates hoping to legally change their name and passport still have some time to alter their identity.
And for anyone looking to hitch a free ride -- Lassus still wants her travel partner to pay for their ticket. But she’s willing to give a bit of a discount on what she says is already a good deal on the flight.
If all goes according to plan, the two will take off from Brisbane to see Paris, London, Amsterdam and Singapore before returning back to Australia mid-January.
